


Talk Italian to Me

by Queenie_Mab



Series: PJO ficlets and oneshots [16]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Audio Book, Audio Format: M4B, Audio Format: MP3, Audio Format: Streaming, Bilingual Character(s), Canon Compliant, Canon Gay Character, Demigods, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Illustrated, Italian-American Character, M/M, Podfic & Podficced Works, Podfic Length: 20-30 Minutes, Self Confidence Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-19
Updated: 2015-04-04
Packaged: 2018-03-18 14:42:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3573488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenie_Mab/pseuds/Queenie_Mab
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will starts crushing on Nico early on, and when Nico leaves he figures he could let it crush him or he could keep on going and hope that when they meet again he might just be enough of a hero to catch Nico's attention and hold it.</p><p>Chapter Two of this fic is actually the audiofic version. It is intended as an alternate method of enjoying the story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Deutsch available: [Sprich Italienisch für mich (Talk Italian to Me)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4671119) by [likemybonfireheart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/likemybonfireheart/pseuds/likemybonfireheart)



> Now with beautiful art by [Viviana Di Chiara](http://vivianadichiara.tumblr.com/). Visit her store on [Redbubble.com](http://www.redbubble.com/people/vivianadichiara/shop). **Do NOT alter, repost, or copy this art without the express permission of the artist.** It was commissioned and paid for by Mab and that is stealing. Reblogging on [Tumblr](http://mab-speaks.tumblr.com/post/115438812049) is fine.
> 
> This fic was written to satisfy two anon prompt fills for an [ask-meme](http://mab-speaks.tumblr.com/post/113494424154) on Tumblr. #32: "I think I’m in love with you and I’m terrified." and #42: "I swear it was an accident." 
> 
> I'm counting on my readers' knowledge of canon to fill in the gaps in the story. I didn't have time to rework it all from Will's POV - though that would be freaking awesome-
> 
> Canon Quote: Hermes stared at the fountain. “I’ll give you a list of my children. There’s a boy in Wisconsin. Two girls in Los Angeles. A few others. Will you see that they get to camp?” - and my head canon says the boy from Wisconsin is Cecil!
> 
> Thank you littlepai for the Italian translations!

~*~

  


Will woke up as the sun shone in through the window and blinked the sleep from his eyes. Last night had been hard. He'd actually got up the nerve to talk to Nico, even sat next him at the campfire, and afterwards, he and Nico took a walk around the canoe lake, stargazing and talking about how different Camp Half-Blood would be once the Olympians made good on their promise to Percy. 

When Will had brought up Percy Jackson, how much he admired him and how surprised he had been when Percy refused the offer of godhood, Nico gave him a rare smile, and then looked out wistfully across the lake. "Yeah. He's something all right." 

The statement had settled in Will's stomach like indigestion. He still wasn't sure why, though now that Hades had a cabin, he hoped he'd have a chance to figure Nico out. He'd said goodnight after Nico had walked him back to Cabin Seven. He'd patted Nico's arm and thanked him for doing the burial rites on the fallen heroes, but especially Michael. The simple touch sent a shiver running up his arm and throughout his body until the sensation settled in his stomach and transformed into a warm glow that lit up his smile. He wasn't sure what it was that passed over Nico's eyes at the touch, but he hoped it might have been the start to a new friendship. 

"You'll do well as head counselor," Nico told him. "You've got what it takes to lead." And then he'd left. 

Will wasn't an idiot. He knew what was happening to him in regards to Nico. He recalled seeing Nico in New York, striding up Fifth Avenue, leading an army of the dead, a Hell Hound at his heels and his father, the god of the dead himself bringing up the rear. Will was crushing hard. As he watched Nico disappear into the dark, he'd thought that he wasn't worthy of Nico's notice; he'd never led a quest. He was a healer, a medic, back-up.

Pulling himself from his musings, he watched his siblings starting to stir. They'd look to him now that Michael was gone, and that idea was going to take some getting used to.

~*~

  


"What do you mean he's gone?" Will asked, trying to keep the hurt from showing in his voice. 

Chiron passed him a basket of freshly laundered bandages, and then turned to look at him, leaving off taking an inventory of the infirmary stock. "He has never officially signed on as a camper. I had hoped that the addition of a cabin for his father would change that, but even Dionysus insists that the choice must be one he makes for himself. Mr. Di Angelo is a troubled young man, in many ways." He stopped and stroked his beard. "But I hold onto the hope that he will find his way in his own time."

Will's eyes prickled and he turned away from Chiron as he folded the bandages, not wanting to share his grief with his mentor, at least, not until he understood it better. He could play it off, if anyone asked, as being related to Michael's death; they'd understand that. Apollo wasn't the only cabin to suffer casualties. He swallowed the bitter taste of guilt in his mouth for feeling worse about Nico leaving camp than for losing his brother. It seemed _he_ was a little troubled too. 

"Chiron," Percy called from the doorway. Will looked up and Percy spotted him. "Solace!" He strode into the room and Will turned to face him, surprised when Percy held out his hand to shake. Will clasped Percy's hand, and then Percy pulled him forward and embraced him warmly. Will was more than a little star struck, but he smacked Percy's back as Percy did the same. "Thanks so much for saving Annabeth, man. I owe you big time," Percy said, his voice thick with emotion.

When Will pulled away after Percy seemed to get himself back under control, he smiled. "You're welcome." 

"Was there something you wanted from me?" Chiron asked, reminding them of his presence. 

Percy's eyes lit up, and then he looked Will up and down as if appraising him. "Yeah. I got a message from Hermes, the list of all his kids still out in the world. There were more than the few he'd mentioned on Olympus, but I figured we'd start with the ones closest to thirteen. You know …" He looked at Will again, his eyes sincere. "If Will's up for it, he'd be my first choice to help organize the satyrs and bring the new kids to camp."

Chiron turned to Will, his head tilted as if waiting for him to accept the nomination or not. 

And Will found himself with more than enough work to keep from dwelling on his losses and, he hoped, to get a grip on his emotions.

~*~

  


Will and Glenn, a newly appointed searcher found Cecil almost the moment they arrived in Janesville, Wisconsin. Will stepped off the bus and before he had a chance to even look around, a running blur of color smacked into him, throwing him backwards on top of Glenn, knocking the wind from his lungs, and leaving them sprawled on the steps of the bus. He grabbed the boy lying on top of him and held him fast, wheezing as he regained his breath while the boy struggled to free himself. 

"Sorry, sorry, I – I swear it was an accident. I gotta go, please. Quick. They're after me."

"Wait a second," Glenn said, giving Will a push as the driver barked at them to either get off the bus or get back on. "Will. It's him; he's the one."

Will kept his grip on the boy as he got to his feet and Glenn paid the driver their additional fare. "It's okay," Will said, trying to sound soothing. "We're here to help." He released him when the boy nodded, and they climbed the stairs as the door closed behind them.

As the bus pulled away from the curb, Will saw two police officers running past on the sidewalk as if in pursuit of a criminal and the boy dropped face down on the aisle floor. Thankfully, they were the only passengers. 

Will took the seat opposite Glenn, and they exchanged a look across the aisle as if to say: _What sort of trouble are we bringing back to camp?_

"Is it safe?" the boy asked, looking up at Will. He was short and lean with sharp almost elfish features. His wild brown hair stuck up in a tuft at the back and he had brown eyes that seemed too big for his face. He made Will think of Peter Pan. 

"Yeah," Will said and patted the seat next to him. The boy jumped off the floor and into the seat as if he was one big spring. "I'm Will Solace." He pointed at Glenn. "That's Glenn. What's your name?" 

"Cecil," the boy answered simply. "How far does this bus go?"

~*~

  


Cecil, it turned out, had the cops set on him by his 'foster parents', who, by Cecil's description, Will guessed were a pair of monsters adapting to modern life, blending in with the system and feeding off the charges dumped in their lap. He'd heard similar tales often enough.

On their trek up Half-Blood Hill, Cecil stopped short after Will told him a little about himself. Will stopped too and looked back at him. 

"No way," Cecil said, his lips turning up on one side. "There is no way you're only twelve. That's how old I am. Dude, what do they feed you at this camp?" He slumped to exaggerate their height difference and Will couldn't help but laugh.

Glenn danced nervously on his fake feet, gesturing for them to keep going. "Come on. We're almost to the border. You can talk all you want after we cross it."

Will snapped back to serious mode in an instant, recalling the numerous monster attacks that seemed to happen the closer to safety a demigod got. "He's right. We can talk more when we get there."

They climbed the rest of the hill without incident and without speaking. It's true that being a demigod ages a person faster than just about anything else, and after three and half years as a year-round camper, Will had trouble believing he was only twelve too.

~*~

  


Will fell into his roles as lead camper in the Apollo cabin, the senior healer after Chiron, and the guy who tried to make new campers feel welcome. He tried to buddy people up and helped the quiet ones find a niche so they wouldn't run off thinking nobody liked them. Nico di Angelo was his greatest what-if and never far from his mind. 

Lou Ellen had been claimed by her mother while Will was off with Glenn to bring Cecil to camp, and it only took a couple of weeks before the three were seldom seen apart. Cecil and Lou Ellen wrested the whole story about Will's infatuation with the mysterious son of Hades out of him and offered an ear whenever he needed to talk about it. His dreams of late provided a lot to talk about.

He'd never had prophetic dreams before, but Nico had been appearing in his nightmares with alarming frequency after Jason, Piper, and Leo returned from their quest to free Hera. 

\-- Nico stepped from the shadows of a black poplar, the sky a purple haze, the air sulfurus. He stood stock still and looked out over what appeared to be a quarry of tall stones, though it was hard to see clearly through the tendrils of mist clinging to them. He turned back and started to walk, silently picking his way between the rocks, stopping every so often to peer at individual ones … and they seemed to peer back. They weren't rocks, they were souls, and the land he crossed was Asphodel. 

The atmosphere changed the deeper in he walked, the mist thicker, lower to the ground and heavy with dread. It brought with it visions of blood coagulating, slogging in open wounds, pooling into pure despair and a force beckoned, pulling Nico toward it. It held a magnetism of malignancy too powerful to resist. His shoes skidded, losing traction as a chasm of inky blackness appeared and sucked him into its depths. He fell sightless, his mouth open in a silent scream. --

Will dragged in a breath, his throat searing as if he'd swallowed fire, tasting metal on his tongue. He drew his knees up to his chest, hugging them, and praying to Apollo, to Hades, to Hecate, and even to Hermes that it was only a nightmare as tears tracked his cheeks.

~*~

  


Will hadn't seen Nico di Angelo in person in almost two years, but even in the dark, even from behind, even though he was dressed in a tropical shirt, he knew him. He gestured for Lou Ellen and Cecil to stay quiet, then looked out over the Roman camp, following the path of Nico's eyes, and then stepped forward. "Nico?"

~*~

  


He was bone tired a couple of days after the war. So tired that the hours of sleep he managed didn't help much, but something drew him from his precious few hours free from the infirmary, the sun perhaps? After working long into the night it sucked to be an Apollo camper at daybreak in the summer months. He threw his blankets off himself and pulled on a pair of jeans, a clean surgeon's shirt and slipped into his flip flops. 

He sighed as he shuffled to the bathroom, memories cropping up that he didn't want to revisit. He'd longed for Nico di Angelo to come back, and then when he had, he'd been on the brink of fading, more far gone Will suspects than Nico realized. When Will had asked Hedge about Nico after Melli's delivery, the look Hedge gave him told him that he didn't have any time to waste. If he was going to convince Nico to stay at camp, to try and befriend him, he had to be clever about it. That was why he had weaseled his way onto the battlefield. It wasn't nerves from delivering a baby or even the fear of endangering his own life. The weight of his feelings terrified him and made him wonder how real they were and how much they may have been embellished by his own fantasy. 

The connection he'd felt after the battle of Manhattan had been real and Nico wasn't the sort that took walks and looked at the stars with just anybody. Will would have been thrilled to just have had that much, but when Nico insisted on walking him back to his cabin … that had felt a lot like a date. Sure, they had only been twelve years old, but with the fate of the world riding on their shoulders, their lives fragile and so often cut short … Nico must have realized, must have sensed … 

"Stupid," he said to his reflection, holding himself up with his hands on the sink. "You're so stupid, Will." 

He knew he wasn't off the mark as far as Nico's preference for guys, but the way his eyes had lit up at the mention of Percy Jackson. That was where his heart had been two years ago when they had walked together. He recalled the other night, coming across Nico on the battlefield, the darkness he'd sensed in him, the despair. Nico had been ready to go kamikaze on the Romans and probably would have if Will hadn't spoken up. Percy Jackson. Will understood the attraction. If he had a chance in Hades with Percy and Nico wasn't an option, he'd totally go for it, but Percy was so taken with Annabeth, he'd be a fool to even think it. Nico was nowhere close to a fool either, and it broke Will's heart to think that a hopeless crush could drive Nico into not valuing his life. 

He'd flirted with Nico as they planned to sabotage the onagers, testing the waters a little at first and had thought he'd picked right back up on the thread from so long ago. Nico hadn't told him off. He'd grumbled about accepting Will's help, but he _had_ accepted it, and then he'd dropped the bomb that he wasn't staying. He'd already made up his mind. Even so … even after the last thing they did together was watch Octavian launch himself into oblivion … Will wondered if there might be a glimmer of a chance to convince Nico otherwise. 

Nico and the Roman praetor had hugged before the whole camp, a symbol of unity, Nico representing the Greeks, representing Camp Half-Blood. Nico didn't need to make it official, he belonged at camp. Will looked his reflection in the eye again. "If you would go for it if there was a chance with Percy Jackson, with no Nico in the picture, then why wouldn't you go for it when there's Nico and no chance with Percy. Nico wins out both ways, but you have to stop being cowardly and tell him you want him to stay."

Determined, Will headed out to the porch of his cabin and spotted Nico across the green wrapped up in Jason Grace's arms. Another impossible dream. He set his face with a stern expression, not willing to shy away from his feelings again and waved until Nico noticed him. And then he pointed at the ground and sent the message. You. Here. Now.

~*~

  


After a year, Will thought he reached his breaking point. He was so far gone for Nico di Angelo, it killed him to have to keep it inside. 

They grew close after he had called Nico out and forced him to spend time in the infirmary, but Nico made it clear, not in regards to Will specifically, but in general that he wasn't interested in dating flat out. Will pushed Nico when he knew Nico needed a push, but the reaction Nico had had when Will had brought up the subject of love interests let him know that the subject was taboo and pushing the issue would drive Nico away. 

Instead, he went out of his way to not mention it, and he and Nico ended up in a sort of not-relationship. They acted pretty much like any other couple, only without labels and without physical intimacy. Lou Ellen and Cecil had started a bet between themselves as to when Will and Nico would finally announce they were dating until Will told them to knock it off. 

He'd thought he'd be fine with things going as they were until a couple of months before camp started its summer session and Nico started teasing him in Italian. The sound of Nico's native tongue melted Will into a pile of mush every single time, and Nico laughed and refused to translate what he said, like he got off on Will's suffering. No. That wasn't true, because Will begged him to do it again and again and Nico was only obliging him. 

They sat next to each other on the edge of the dock on an April evening, dangling their legs and watching the sunset and Will told himself this would be the last time he'd ask. He'd requested a private quest from Chiron that would take him away for several months and hopefully help him gain some clarity. 

"Talk Italian to me," Will said, setting his hand on top of Nico's on the deck, one of the touches Nico never seemed to mind. 

Nico looked at him sideways, shrewdly, one dark eyebrow raised. "Why?"

Will gave his best impression of puppy dog eyes and pouted his lower lip. "Because I like it. It's a beautiful language. Oh c'mon …" He nudged Nico with his elbow. "You know you want to. You love to tease me with the fact I don't understand. Go ahead and tell me I smell like one of Butch Walker's gym socks. I bet even that would sound beautiful in Italian."

Nico chuckled. "Hai un profumo fantastico."

Will turned his head to the side. "Fantastico?" He met Nico's eyes. "You think Butch's socks smell fantastic?"

Nico didn't answer that question. He didn't break the eye contact either. "Mi fai venire voglia di essere una persona migliore." 

Will closed his eyes and smiled, letting the soft words caress his eardrums. He leaned closer, tilting his head as if being closer would allow him to hear better. "More?" He heard Nico sigh and opened his eyes again. "You don't have to if you don't …"

"Non te lo direi mai se riuscissi a capirmi, ma mi fai venire voglia di cantare. Adoro i tuoi capelli e come brillano al sole, e se fossi una persona migliore ti direi che ti amo." 

Will thought his soul might leave his body. All he wanted to do was to lean in the last couple of inches and press their lips together. He didn't. Instead, he squeezed Nico's hand. Would this be the last time they ever sat together like this? He looked out at the lake, suddenly sad.

"Why did you request a quest, Will and not tell me about it?" 

Will's eyes grew wide. The question threw him off course. "How did you …"

"I can blend in with the shadows and I knew something was bothering you."

"You spied on me." Will blew out his breath, his sails flattened. 

Nico nodded. He didn't say anything else, didn't make any motion to leave. He just sat there, waiting.

The words were on the tip of Will's tongue, so beyond ready to come out and yet frozen by fear. He thought back over all the good times they'd had and a few of the bad. Nico hadn't had a real freakout in a very long time, and Will would be leaving himself. He didn't have much to lose and he had faith Nico wouldn't fall off the face of the Earth if he heard the truth, not like before. 

He took another deep breath and let it out, then looked Nico in the eyes again. "I think I'm in love with you and I'm terrified you'll leave if I tell you." 

Saying the words made Will feel like he just dropped about a hundred pounds he hadn't realized he'd been carrying. And Nico wasn't freaking out. He wasn't even acting all that surprised. "Non fare lo scemo. Sono pazzo di te," he said instead and closed the distance between them, brushing Will's lips with his.

Will held onto the back of Nico's head with one hand, his mind threatening to give out. He broke the kiss, barely, still close enough to pick it right back up and whispered: "What does that mean?"

"Don't be an idiot. I'm mad about you," Nico answered, and faster than a snake, slipped out of Will's grip, flipping their positions, and pushed him onto his back on the deck, then slotted himself on top and kissed him within an inch of his life.

  


When they broke apart, they rolled onto their sides facing each other. "I'm coming along … on the quest …" Nico said. "If you'll have me. I already volunteered and got Chiron's okay."

Will smirked and made a show of thinking about whether that would be acceptable or not. "I suppose you could come along, but you have to agree to talk to me in Italian at least once a day … and …" He continued over Nico's attempt at interrupting. "… and you have to translate what you say."

Nico smiled, showing his teeth. "Is that right?" He held up a hand and started ticking off his fingers. "I said you smell fantastic. That you make me want to be a better person. You make me want to sing. I love the way your hair glows in the sun and …" He swallowed, then kept going, "and that I love you."

Will Solace had no response to give. He melted into a puddle of mush and Nico took full advantage of his silence.

The End

  



	2. [Podfic] Talk Italian To Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter is an audio version of Talk Italian to Me, also known as a podfic. It is available in a streaming option by .mp3 or to download as an .m4b.
> 
> Cover art was created by [Viviana Di Chiara](http://vivianadichiara.tumblr.com/), and she also coached me in my Italian pronunciation for this podfic. 
> 
> **Do not alter, repost, or copy this art without the express permission of the artist. It was commissioned and paid for by Mab and that is stealing.** Reblogging on [Tumblr](http://mab-speaks.tumblr.com/post/115438812049) is fine.

| 

Cover Art provided by Viviana Di Chiara

| 

## Streaming Audio

## Downloads

  * [MP3](http://s2mmabfanworks.net/mab/talkitaliantome.mp3) (right click to save) | **Size:** 24.6 MB | **Duration:** 00:26:50
  * [M4B](http://s2mmabfanworks.net/mab/talkitaliantome.m4b) (click to download) | **Size:** 13.5 MB | **Duration:** 00:26:50

  
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